Shotshell



N0V- 2, 1955 D. s. FooTE ETAL 3,215,076

SHOTSHELL Filed Sept. 3, 1963 777 z/'r 422 tor/76g@ United States Patent O 3,215,076 SHOTSHELL Donald S. Foote, Greens Farms, and .Iustin H. Whipple,

Milford, Conn., assignors to Remington Arms Company, Inc., Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,026 6 Claims. (Cl. 102-42) This invention relates in general to an improved shotshell construction and specifically to a unique shot container which also functions as a shotshell mouth closure member.

Although shot containers or concentrators are old in the art, there has been renewed interest expressed recently in this area of shotshell development. Several factors, in addition to the previous reasons for desiring shot containers, may explain this renewed interest in shot containers.

Thus, as in the past, the desire to improve pattern and prevent leading and wear of the gun barrel remain high on the list of reasons why a shot container is desirable. Over the years, various conflicting theories concerning the use of shot containers have been proposed. All of the theories, however, provide for the idea of isolating the shot pellets from the barrel during the time the shot is moving through the barrel, and keeping the shot pellets together for a period iof time after being explosively projected out of the barrel so that the pellets will not scatter to the same degree that they would without the shot container or concentrator.

Other factors which may have caused the renewed interest in shot containers include the desire to use shot made of material which is less expensive and lighter than lead. Steel shot is one example. By using steel shot, the shotshell weighs less, uses less powder, costs less, and produces less recoil than a shotshell using lead pellets. However, steel shot produces a much greater rate of gun barrel wear than lead so that the use of shot containers in this situation protects the barrel from excessive wear.

Another factor is the increasing use yof plastic body shotshells wherein shot containers not only improve pattern but also protect low tensile, molded plastic shotshells from body mouth cut-offs.

It has always been a serious problem in shotshells which have shot containers projected out of the gun barrel with the shot, that the shot pellets are deected from their normal trajectory by either a front closure wad, the front closure itself, or the shot container during its attempt to become disengaged from the shot pellet packet. Obviously, unless the shot pellets are permitted to proceed on the trajectory indicated by the direction which the gun barrel is pointing-without deection-there will be no improvement of the shot pattern.

For the above reasons, an ideal shot container should (l) adequately protect the shot pellets from abrasion against the gun barrel, (2) protect the shotshell body and gun barrel from the explosively projected shot pellets, (3) carry the shot pellets as a concentrated unit for a distance out of the gun barrel and, (4) separate itself cleanly from the shot pellets and permit the shot pellets to proceed, without interruption or deiiection on its normal trajectory. The present invention is believed to accomplish these objectives and more.

For example, the present invention eliminates a costly and troublesome crimping operation since the shot container also serves as an end closure for the shell. It provides a plastic container which decreases the friction of the shot through the gun barrel, thus producing a higher muzzle velocity. Inasmuch as the plastic container is very light, it has low inertia and thus very little recoil. Furice thermore, being molded, the weights are uniform, and thus, ballistics will be uniform and predictable.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved, low-cost shotshell having ballistic characteristics which are consideraby better than standard shotshells currently on the market.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lowcost plastic shell which can be easiy reloaded by a handloader without expensive handloading equipment.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a low-cost shotshell utilizing novel head mounting means.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved combination shot container-Snell closure member which opens up to permit the enclosed shot pellets to travel ahead without interruption or deflection.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a front elevation view of a shotshell illustrating the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows an elevation view of a pre-loaded shotshell without the detachable head and priming means.

FIGURE 3 shows the clam shot container-closure member.

FIGURE 4 shows a modification utilizing a separate filler wad adaptor with the shot container-closure member in a heavy body shotshell.

FIGURE 5 shows another shotshell including a moditied clam closure-container means.

It should be appreciated that although the following specification and the accompanying drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are various other ways in which the invention can be practiced. For example, although this application shows and refers to the container-closure member as being split into two halves, there is no reason why more than two sections cannot be hinged.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the preferred embodiment of the invention shows a tubular body casing 10 which can be made by simple injection molding of low-cost linear polyethylene or other suitable material. The base or head section 12 is reinforced with a thick section 14 which is designed to serve as a basewad. A body Hash hole section 16, formed by a circular flange integral with the tubular body 10 projects into the tubular body a predetermined distance parallel thereto dene a cavity 18, whose function will be explained later.

As can be seen in FIGURE 2, a thin membrane 19 can be molded in place or separately positioned over the ash hole on the lower end of the shotshell body. This permits the unit shown in FIGURE 2 to be pre-loaded and distributed without the head and primer assembly. When the time comes to make the completed shell, an appropriate tool can be provided to break this membrane so that the head stem can be inserted.

A head member 20 is detachably connected to the tubular body 10 in such a manner as to permit easy removal in order to facilitate reloading of the shell. The preferred method of attachment shown in FIGURE l includes providing a head plate 22 having an integral, threaded stem 24 either physically forced or screwed into a stepped portion 26 of the body flash hole section 16. Since the body fiash hole section is made of polyethylene, there is a tight interference t without any tendency for the head to unscrew or become loose.

The head 20 can be either a zinc die casting, machined from brass, steel, stainless steel, plastic, etc., or it could be molded plastic with a shotshell primer inserted. A recess 2S is provided in the head plate 22 in communication with the hollow portion of stem 24 and a priming assembly 30 positioned therein.

. thereof. See FIGURE 3.

The mouth end 32 of the body 10 is thinned in order to permit insertion of a container-closure member 34. Since the ouside diameter of the container closure is greater than the inside diameter of the mouth end of body casing 10, the thinned end of the body permits expansion so that an interference fit is effected when the closure is pushed into the mouth of the body.

Container-closure 34 includes a tubular wall portion 36 andan integral closure portion 3S at the forward end A slit 40 or a weakened portion extends longitudinally down opposed tubular wallportions 36 of the container-closure and are connected by a lateral slit through the closure portion 38. This structure can be achieved by molding an integral container-closure unit and cutting a slit down from the closure end to a predetermined distance from the rear end of the container-closure to leave an unslitted portion to act as a hinge means. A preferred method of making the slit container-closure, however, is to have the closure split into two halves during injection molding and held together by two thin llexible webs 41 at the rear end of the closure which act as hinge means and permit the closure to open up like a clam shell when the shot 42 leaves lthe shotgun barrel.

An aerodynamic rib 44 on the front end of the closure aids in opening up the hinged container-closure through wind resistance although the primary force tending to open up the hinged member is the forward inertia force of the shot pellets.

The interference fit between the closure 34 and the body holds the shell together until red. The heavier base portion 46 of the closure wall portion insures against stress relief of the interference iit on shelf shorage and gives further insurance against debulleting. This heavier base portion of the closure is molded with its slit edges feathered to hold the shot at loading during assembly of the shell and eliminates any interference when the closure overlaps in the base portion as the halves open on firing. It should be appreciated that satisfactory results can also be achieved without the heavy base portion and the feathered edges, although the illustrated embodiment does show these features.

The molded closure split closed end can be provided with a proper and consistent angular shape to permit easy feeding into chambers of shotguns and prevent many of the problems of feeding in autoloading and slide action Shotguns. Conventional shotshells with rib-lock by necessity are inherently relatively square cornered. The closure is technically simple and loading it involves pushing the closure into the shell body. Loading scrap losses with conventional crimping operations are eliminated. The short body is not physically destroyed or multilated in the crimping operation or on firing as are conventional shells and as a result, the number of reloadings available is increased many times.

Since the body requires no xed closing length as conventional shells do, loading is extremely versatile. All that is required is to push the body and closure together. Since lead shot is fluid, it does not matter whether the shotshell is loaded with shot and the shot container is pushed down around the shot or whether the shot container is full of shot and the shotshell is forced down over the loaded shot container. The lead shot being fluid, it will move aside to permit the container to push down around the shot, thus enclosing the shot. Component dimensional variations are absorbed by varying loaded length. Since the shell is fiber-less in both wad column and body, it is debris-less to keep gun actions clean and to keep dust off the shooter. Furthermore, inspection is greatly simplified since closure problems are eliminated. The load need not be ink printed on the body, but instead the load identification can be molded on top of the closure.

As mentioned above, the head is designed as a zinc die casting with cast threads for lowest cost. The zinc castings can be brass plated for corrosion resistance and appearance. Although the plastic to zinc joint is ideal to provide enough tension to prevent unscrewing, another design feature serves to assist in providing a tight sealing connection between the head and the body. Thus, upon tiring of the priming assembly 30, the propellant powder 48 ignites and the resulting explosion works against the cushion wad 50 to force the shot out of the barrel. The explosive gas pressure also reacts in the previously mentioned cavity 18 to force the body ash hole llange I6 against the head threaded stern 24 to prevent any gas leakage between these two parts. The result is an easily detachable head member which is economically produced and which functions satisfactorily for the purpose intended.

A modification of the container-closure principle is shown in FIGURE 4. In this modification, a metal head is inserted into a heavy shotshell body casing 52 in a manner explained above. It has been found that in order to design a shotshell of this type wherein the major portion of the shot is outside the shotshell body casing, the length of the body casing is decreased to a point where ejection difficulties are encountered. One of the ways in which the body casing is provided with suiiicient mass to permit proper ejection is to increase the thickness of the tubular body walls, as shown. However, this feature will be the subject matter of a subsequent patent application. It should be appreciated, however, that the heavy body structure is not absolutely necessary for the container-closure combination of this modification. For example, it is known that a plastic head similar in structure to the metal head shown in FIGURE 4 can be utilized. Thus, by using a plastic head, the Weight distribution and center of gravity of the empty shotshell is changed so that a heavy body is no longer needed for ejection purposes. Thus, the heavy body construction in FIGURE 5 of this application is not a part of the instant invention and as mentioned above, will be covered in another application.

Inserted into lthe open end of body casing 52 is a iiller wad adaptor 54 which is comprised of a gas sealing skirt 56, a cushioning section 58, and an adaptor section 60 which extends outwardly from the body casing 52. A circular groove 62 in the cushioning section co-operates with a circular detent ring 64 on the body to lock the liller wad adaptor to the body after it has been inserted a predetermined distance.

A container-closure member 66 is attached to the adaptor section 60 by means of a groove 68 in the adaptor section and a detent 70 in the closure 66. It should be appreciated that although FIGURE 4 shows the adaptor section 60 on the inside of closure 66, the adaptor section can also be positioned on the outside of the closure 66 and still be within the scope of the invention.

A sealing lip '72 can be positioned between the body casing and the container-closure in order to bear against the barrel and seal off the escaping explosive gases.

A container-closure 66 also includes slits 74 and a hinge portion 76, substantially as shown in the modification of FIGURE l.

Upon tiring, the filler wad adaptor and the containerclosure with the enclosed shot pellets are explosively projected out of the shotshell body as a unit. It can be seen that the lower end of the unit will have an air space between the shot and the barrel which will take up some of the radial expansion of the shot. Slightly forward of this air space is a double thickness of material where the closure and the filler wad adaptor overlap. The overall result is that the shot cannot come in contact with the barrel and thus shot deformation and barrel leading is prevented. The shot leaves the barrel as a compact and undeformed unit. After leaving the barrel, the containerclosure strips away from the filler wad adaptor and because of its slit portions will open up like a clam shell and permit the shot pellets to go on undeilected on their way to the target.

A third modification is shown in FIGURE 5 and is especially designed for steel shot. This modification shows a body 78 having a head 80 which can be either integrally molded or detachably or nondetachably connected thereto.

A modified wad adaptor 82 is inserted within the open end of body 78 and held therein either by means of an interference iit or by a detent-groove arrangement as shown in the modification of FIGURE 4. Adaptor 82 includes a gas sealing skirt 84 and a transverse bottom wall 86 which functions to protect the steel shot 88 from the heat and explosive force of the gases generated by propellant powder when the cartridge is red. A tubular wall portion 90 extends upwardly and integrally from transverse wall 86 and is grooved at 92 to provide a pocket with the upper end of body 78 in which the lower end of container-closure 94 is inserted. Container-closure 94 is similar to the closure members in FIGURES l and 4 and includes a slit 96 and a hinge portion 98.

It can be seen that the combination shown in FIGURE 5 will function in a manner similar to the modication of FIGURE 4. The modification does have at least a substantial amount of shot Within the shotshell body, so that the problem of body mouth cut off would be present in molded plastic shotshells if it were not for the double thickness of material, i.e., the adaptor and the closure, which separates the shot from the shotshell body. The problem of body mouth cut-oli is not present when the shotshell body is made either of bi-axially oriented polyethylene or the old standard paper shells.

We claim:

1. In a shotshell having a body casing which has a head portion atached to the rear end thereof and which is open at the front end, -a combination shot container and enclosure member positioned in said open front end, said container-closure member comprising a tubular plastic body open at the rear end and closed at the front end by an integral closure wall portion which functions as the mouth end closure for the shotshell, said shot container including a slit located in a plane which substantially bisects the container, said slit extending through the closure portion and down the opposed tubular body portions to a point located a predetermined distance from the open end of said container tubular body so that upon being explosively projected from the gun barrel, the shot container front closure end opens up like a clamshell and hinges on the lower non-slitted portions of the container thus permitting the enclosed `shot pellets to be released from within the shot container.

2. A combination shot container and closure means comprising a plurality of segments whose combined outer peripheral coniiguration is approximately the same as the interior configuration of an associated shotshell in which the container-closure means is inserted and held in place, each of said segments comprising a tubular side wall portion with an integral front end closure portion and being open-ended -at the rear end thereof, hinge means connecting the lower end portions of each segment with the corresponding lower end portion of each adjacent segment, thus, providing a container-closure means which functions as the shotshell closure and also to contain shot pellets While inserted in the shotshell and while being explosively projected through the gun barrel but which opens up like a clamshell upon being released from the gun barrel, thus permitting the enclosed shot to leave the container-closure means without being deflected.

3. A shotshell comprising a tubular body casing closed off at one end with a head portion, a shot-containerclosure member positioned in the other end of said tubular body casing, said container-closure member comprising a tubular wall portion which is open at the rear end and which has an integral closure wall portion at the front end thereof which acts as the front closure of the shotshell, means dened by weakened portions extending longitudinally of the shotshell for a predetermined distance on said container-closure tubular wall portion and transversely on said closure wall portion so that upon leaving the shotgun barrel after firing, said closure-container separates along said weakened portions into sections which pivot on hinge means on the lower end of said containerclosure portion connecting said sections, thus releasing the enclosed shot from within the container-closure.

4. A shotshell as recited in claim 3 including a plastic filler wad adaptor means slidably positioned in said tubular body casing, said plastic adaptor having a tubular portion which is closed off at the rear end by transverse wall means, gas sealing skirt means on said transverse wall means, said plastic adaptor open-end tubular portion being in telescoping `engagement with the container-closure tubular open end thus forming a shot-containing chamber in which the shot charge is positioned.

5. A shotshell comprising a tubular casing having a head portion at one end thereof, a wad adaptor means positioned in said shotshell and releasably connected thereto, said wad adaptor means comprising a one-piece cup-shaped member including a tubular portion having an open ended front portion and a rear end portion closed ofr by an integral bottom transverse wall, closure means cooperating with said wad adaptor means to form a shotcontaining chamber therebetween, said closure means comprising an inverted, One-piece, cup-shaped member having a tubular portion with an open rear end and a front transverse closure portion which functions as the front closure for the shotshell, a plurality of slit means on said closure means adapted to rupture when the container-closure member is explosively projected from the gun barrel, thus forming separable sections which pivot about hinge means located at the lower end of the tubular portion of said closure means thus permitting the shot pellets to escape through the opened-up closure portion of the still intact container-closure member without interference.

6. A shotshell as recited in claim 5 whereby an outwardly-directed peripheral ange means is provided at the tubular portion of the wad adaptor to engage the associated gun barrel and prevent gas leakage around the container-closure member upon being explosively projected through the gun barrel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 89,088 4/69 Smith 102-44 99,528 2/70 Boyd 102-44 225,463 3/80 Coloney 102-42 395,897 1/89 Hartley 102-42 1,066,525 7/ 13 Pedersen 102-42 1,557,695 10/25 Holden 102-42 1,557,696 10/25 Holden 102-42 2,818,021 12/57 Boehm et al 102-44 2,823,611 2/58 Thayer 102-44 3,099,958 8/ 63 Daubenspeck et al 102-42 3,121,391 2/64 Young 102.-42

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,186,659 2/59 France.

SAMUEL FEINBERG. Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SHOTSHELL HAVING A BODY CASING WHICH HAS A HEAD PORTION ATTACHED TO THE REAR END THEREOF AND WHICH IS OPEN AT THE FRONT END, A COMBINATION SHOT CONTAINER AND ENCLOSURE MEMBER POSITIONED IN SAID OPEN FRONT END, AND CONTAINER-CLOSURE MEMBER COMPRISING A TUBULAR PLASTIC BODY OPEN AT THE REAR END AND CLOSED AT THE FRONT END BY AN INTEGRAL CLOSURE WALL PORTION WHICH FUNCTIONS AS THE MOUTH END CLOSURE FOR THE SHOTSHELL, SAID SHOT CONTAINER INCLUDING A SLIT LOCATED IN A PLANE WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY BISECTS THE CONTAINER, SAID SLIT EXTENDING THROUGH THE CLOSURE PORTION AND DOWN THE OPPOSED TUBULAR BODY PORTIONS TO A POINT LOCATED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE OPEN END OF SAID CONTAINER TUBULAR BODY SO THAT UPON BEING EXPLOSIVELY PROJECTED FROM THE GUN BARREL, THE SHOT CONTAINER FRONT CLOSURE END OPENS UP LIKE A CLAMSHELL AND HINGES ON THE LOWER NON-SLITTED PORTIONS OF THE CONTAINER THUS PERMITTING THE ENCLOSED SHOT PELLETS TO BE RELEASED FROM WITHIN THE SLOT CONTAINER. 